Phil Neville will join the Under-21 backroom staff for the summer European Championships in Israel following a successful three-day spell ahead of a qualifier against Belgium in February 2012.

And Pearce is looking for others to follow suit with a number of ex-players dabbling in backroom roles once retiring, and urged the Football Association to help other older players with the transition.

"The FA have had their eyes on [Neville] and want to push him on," said Pearce. "We want to encourage that. People of that ilk should not be on the outside. We should help the ex-players, people such as Phil and Jamie Carragher, who look like they could go on to be managers.

"Phil’s going back into his club and will be asked what it’s like and he went back with a glowing talk on the Under-21 setup and that can only help us as well. We can showcase that and they can go back to the clubs. This isn’t my idea, it’s the FA’s. Phil will be the only addition to my staff.

"It will give Phil the kick-start on his [coaching] career. From Phil’s point of view he still has the contacts from the playing side, he wants to be coach and not just say he’s a footballer and wants to be handed it. He’s got the right professional skills to be a very good coach.

"I also think he’s got respect of players. Everyone will have heard him and played against him. He’s got a real enthusiasm, wants to be a coach and is a student of the game. It’s a volatile profession but if I look at any individual who can be a good coach or manager, Phil has those qualities."